Land vehicle



July 23, 19 35. P, ARMINGTQN 2,099,039

LAND VEHICLE Filed March 26, 1930 INVENTOR ATT RN EYJ Patented July 23,1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LAND VEHICLE Application March 26,1930, Serial No. 439,024

4 Claims. (Cl. 298-35) This invention relates to heavy-duty bottomdumptrailer-wagons. Such a vehicle comprises as its principal parts so faras we are here concerned, an open-bottom container-body which maypreferably comprise a rigid open frame and a hopper carried thereby todump therethrough, running gear preferably of endless tread type,disposed on either side of the body, arched axle means supporting thebody in elevated position upon the running gear, and doors for thedumping opening mounted to swing downwardly and outwardly to dependingdumping position.

While each door swings generally about its body side, it preferably doesnot move about a fixed axis, but is rather so mounted that itsrelatively fixed edge rises within the dumping opening as the door movesto dump, so that when in dumping position the depending door edge willhave more clearance above the ground than would be possible were a fixedaxis provided.

Further, in some instances it is preferable that the arched axlecomprise a member extending across the body, as between the side framemembers, and arms extending downwardly and outwardly of this transversemember, passing beneath the side frame members, and having at theirlower ends the usual stub shafts for connection with the running gear.

It is of course desirable inall cases that the doors be capable ofclosing the entire dumping opening, and that the doors extend the fulllength thereof so that a single pair only need be provided, and so thatequal dumping fore-and-aft of the axle, with corresponding stability ofthe wagon, will be insured.

Difiiculties not at once apparent arise when it is desired toincorporate such door arrangement with such axle arrangement; and it isgenerally the object of this invention to provide a construc- 49 tionincorporating such features, in a simple manner, retaining all of theadvantages of each.

The exact nature of this invention together with further objects andadvantages thereof will be apparent from the following description takenin connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a sideelevation of such a wagon; Fig. 2 is a typical transverse section of thesame as in the plane of line 2-2, Fig. 1; Fig. Sis a detail of a portionof the axle showing its manner of: 50 assembly with the wagon body; Fig.4 is a detail section as in the plane of line 44, Fig. 1 showing themanner of hanging the doors; and Fig. 5 is a 6 dump therethrough, anddoors for controlling the dumping opening and carried by the side framemembers.

The frame side members I are of rolled structural steel preferably ofstandard section such as the channel section shown wherein the flangesare turned outwardly. The side frame members are joined by transverseframe members also preferably of standard rolled section and including apair of members 2 which with the side frame portions therebetween definethe dumping opening. A hopper 3 is mounted on the frame with its lowerextremities fitting this dumping opening. The usual draft meansincluding the tongue i and rear hitch 5 are associated with the frame.

Running gear of endless tread linkage is provided on either side of thevehicle for supporting its container-body. Such running gear on eachside includes as its principal elements paired wheels 5 carried by arock beam 1 and carrying an endless tread linkage 8; these parts beingcon-' ventionally indicated Fig. 1, as being well known in the art.

To support th container-body on the running gear an arched axlestructure is provided, located intermediate the ends of the body. Thisarched axle comprises a transverse member 9 extending between the sideframe members I and thus generally across the dumping opening, and apair of arms Bil each extending downwardly from the transverse member 9,outwardly beneath its corresponding side frame member and carrying atits lower extremity a stub shaft 5 l which stub shaft in turn hasbearing in the rock beam 1 of the running gear on its side of thevehicle, all as shown Figs. 1-2 of the drawing.

The axle is preferably of box section, that is, hollow, with the armsand transverse member integral, so that the side and lower walls of thetransverse member and arms are generally portions of walls common tothese parts.

For securing this arched axle to the side frame members of the body Iprovide on the transverse member 9 end walls l2 against the side framemembers i; and secure these parts together by bolts l3 extending throughsuitable aligned open-- ings therein, the bolts being located betweenthe flange portions of the side frame members and passing through theweb portions thereof. provide upon the axle arm portions ill brackets Edextending fore-and-aft thereof and beneath the lower flanges id of theside frame members. Each of these brackets has a face portion i6coextensive with and bearing against its side frame member flangeportion, and a pair of web portions Ill spaced to receive therebetweenthe head it of bolt means is by which the brackets I 4 are secured withthe frame flange l5.

It will be apparent that by the provisions described the frame and axleof the vehicle may be assembled to comprise a rigid unit. In order thatthe assembly of the bolts l3 may be made I provide an opening 22 in thelower wall 23 of the axle and as adjacent as possible to the end wall I2of the transverse axle member 9 this opening 22 providing a hand holethrough which bolts [3 may be inserted. Various other openings such asan opening 24 lower than the opening 22, may be provided in the wall 23to allow exit of load particles which might accumulate in. the axlehollow.

It will also be apparent that each of the four corners 26, at thejoinder of the side face of the axle with the adjacent frame sidemember, is clear and unobstructed through its vertical extent as shownparticularly Fig. 5; and that the brackets l4 do not extend beneath thedumping opening.

To control the dumping opening a pair of doors 2| are provided, eachmounted for generally swinging movement generally about one of the sideframe members. To this end each door is provided with a number ofbrackets 25, set somewhat within the door edge, and the side framemembers i are provided adjacent their upper extremities withcorresponding brackets 25 secured as by bolts 21; and each pair ofbrackets 25 and 26 are connected by a link 28. The proportion andarrangement of the parts is such that as indicated Fig. 4 each door maymove between closed position, substantially horizontal as shown inbroken lines, to the depending dumping position shown in full lines. Thenear edge 29 of the door at all times bears against the inner face ofthe corresponding side frame member I, and moves upwards as the dooropens; so that the far extremity of the door moves only approximatelyupon a arc, rather varying in movement decidedly upwardly of the are asthe door approaches dumping position.

Door movement is controlled by the usual operating gear not shown butincluding cable means passing over sheaves 32 located at the freecorners of the door.

I arrange for the dumping opening a single pair of doors each extendingthe full length thereof, and in the zone of the axle cut away from eachdoor an opening 39 sufficient to clear the corresponding axle armportion in the path of door swing, and leaving corner portions 3|extending into the described angles 20 between theaxle and the sideframe members. In other words I make the doors to fit the axle in thisrespect, so that the doors may control the dumping opening substantiallyas well as were no axle arm portions in the general path of door swing.

What I claim is:

1. In a dumping vehicle, a rigid open frame, a hopper carried thereby todump therethrough, mobile supporting means for said frame includingarched axle means arranged intermediate the frame ends, said axle meansincluding a member extending across the frame between side membersthereof and arms extending downwardly and outwardly of the ends of saidmember, each beneath its corresponding side frame member, and having attheir lower ends stub shafts for connection with running gear, saidtransverse axle member being generally rectangular and having end wallsagainst the side frame members and secured thereto, and dumping doormeans having corner portions extending into and movable along thevertically extending angles between said side frame members and saidtransverse axle member.

2. In a vehicle of the class described and having a rigid open frame, anopen-bottom container carried by said frame to dump, therethrough,arched axle means including a transverse member extending across theframe intermediate the ends and between-the side members thereof andabove the dumping opening and at each end of said transverse member anarm extending downwardly inside the frame and thence outwardly below itscorresponding side frame member and carrying a stub shaftfor connectionwith the running gear, a single pair of doors for the dumping opening,eachdoor extending the full length of the opening and mountedtherewithin to swing downwardly and outwardly to dumping position andupwardly to closed position beneath said transverse member, and eachdoor being recessed to clear that axle arm portion which would otherwisebe in its path of movement.

3. In a vehicle of the class described and having a rigid open frame, anopen-bottom container carried by said frame to dump therethrough, archedaxle means including a transverse mem ber extending across the frameintermediate the ends and between the side members thereof and above thedumping opening and at each end of said transverse member an armextending downwardly inside the frame and thence outwardly below itscorresponding side frame member and carrying a stub shaft for connectionwith running gear, a single pair of doors for the dumping opening, eachdoor extending the full length of the opening and mounted therewithin toswing downwardly and outwardly to dumping position and upwardly toclosed position beneath said transverse member, and each door beingrecessed to clear that axle arm portion which would otherwise be in itspath of movement, said axle arm portion having curvature generallycorresponding to the path of movement of the adjacent door portion.

4. In a vehicle of the class described and having an open-bottomcontainer, a single pair of doors for the dumping opening, one for eachside thereof, each door having means mounting it upon its side of thecontainer whereby the inner edge of the door swings downwardly andoutwardly to dumping position and upwardly to closed position, each doorhaving a recess at its outer edge portion and being uninterruptedopposite said recess, and arched axle means for said vehicle including atransverse member extending across the container, above and intermediatethe ends of the doors, and also including at each end of said transversemember an arm extending downwardly and thence outwardly below itscorresponding side of the container and carrying a stub shaft forconnection with running gear, the arms of said axle means extendingthrough said recesses of the doors, where by each door has strengthalong its swinging edge by the continuity thereof, and is reinforcedalong its recessed edge by said mounting means.

ARTHUR P. ARMING'ION.

